Selective pyrometer reading switch



NOV- 12, 1929. wz 1,735,485

SELECTIVE PYROMETER READING SWITCH Filed Jan. l2, 1928 2 24 I 25 4 jljzzx 32 2G 50 25 '27 INVESTOR Edward Mam Patented Nov. 12, 1929 ICE EDWARD WIIHIAMS, OF PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO WILSON-MAGULEN COI- lANY, INCL, OF NEW YORK, It. Y., A CORPORATION 031.7 NEW YORK SELECTEVIE PYROMETTJR READING SWITGE Application filed January 12, 1928. Serial No. 246,282.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to dial pyrometer switches whereby any one of a number of circuits can be quickly selectively connected between an instrument and a current source, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to such switches'nor in some respects even to multiple switches.

One object of the invention is to provide a single compact switch of this kind which will selectively connect any one of a series of contacts with another contact and make good contact at an selected position.

Other objects 0 the invention are to provide a single yieldable positioning means for switches of this kind and to provide a conveniently molded combined base and housing for the switch and leads.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eificient method for making contact segments for a switch of this kind.

A further improvement relates to the dial portion thereof, wherein said dial, which is preferably made of dielectric material has a plurality of resilient contact brushes thereon, these being interiorly located to cooperat.vely relate to contacts mounted upon and within the associate base, during operation. Said dial is further provided with indices upon its exterior face which register with an index point upon the housing whereby operative positioning of the dial carried brushes upon the base contacts are numerically, or

otherwise indicated,- in readable registry with the dial and base indices. Cooperating means upon the base and dial are also provided to cause predetermined contact and registry of brushes with contacts and position ind cation, as will hereinafter be described more in detail.

Other objects of the invention are to im-' prove generally the simplicity and efiiciency of such switches and to provide a switch of this kind which is economical, durable and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will ap pear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from'the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan or front elevation depending upon whether the switch is attached to a vertical face or a horizontal face of a structure.

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional View showing the assembled switch and parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan or front elevation showing 66 the dial removed.

Fig. 4 is an inner face View of the dial and U-shaped contact plates.

Fig. 5 is an edge elevation or bottom plan showing the outlet openings of the lead housing.

The various parts of my switch are carried by an improved one-piece combined base and housing 10 of bakelite or other suitable dielectric material, com risinga circular trans versepartition 11 ig. 2), lower or inner walls 12, 13, 14 (Fig. 5) forming an approxi mately rectangular lead housing portion 15 (Fig. 2), and an upper or outer annular wall 16 forming a circular switch housing portion 17.

The partition 11 is provided in the switch housing with four wide shallow concentric grooves, the two inner grooves receiving flat metallic rings 20, 21, each provided with conducting terminals 22, 23 passing through holes into .the lead housing and there receiving nuts 24 whereby to clamp the rings in the grooves. Conductors 25, 26 may be soldered, riveted or otherwise attached to one bolt 22, I

23 of each ring and connected to one of the binding osts 27, 28, with one of which a plus sign 29 ?Fig. 3) is associated.

Flat one-piece metallic contact segments 30, 31 seated in the two outer grooves, ,and having radial end edges slightly spaced apart are provided with threaded end terminals 32, 33 integral with the segments projecting into the lead housing 15 through molded terminal holes equidistantly spaced around the groove. Nuts 34 on said threaded ends clamp the segments into spaced relation in the ooves.

Said one-piece segments may e'conveniently formed from a bar of metal having its cross-section shaped like the circular contact face of the segment. The operator forms a shank on the end portion of the bar in a lathe and then transversely parts the segment from the end of the bar While rotating, to form the complete contact.

The lead housing 15 is approximately, rectangular forming elongated walls 12, 13, 14 and corners 35 projecting beyond the annu- Iar walls and provided with screw. or bolt holes 36 for attaching the base to a wall or other structure.

The opposite walls 13,.14 of the lead housing are straight,.the straight wall 13 being .provided with a pair of terminal openings to receive the binding posts 27, 28 connected by the conductors 25, 26 to the terminals 22, 23 of said rings respectively.

The other straight wall 14 has outlet openings 40, 41 (Fig. 5) equal in number to said segments, and arranged in a row of pairs staggered relative to each other to provide upper and lower rows 40, 41. Each pair of holes comprises an upper hole and a lower hole,and each even numbered air is provided with a circuit number 43 ad acent to the pair, each row being provided with a current direction sign 44, 45.

The face of the partition in the lead housing 1s also provided with current" direction signs 46, 47 (Fig. 3) associated with the respective series of terminals and also with circuit numbers 48, 49, corresponding to out-' let circuit numbers, the number of the plus terminal of one series being approximately diagonally opposite to the corresponding number of the minus terminal of the other series, said numbers and direction signs indicating that the positive and negative conductors of the numbered circuits should be passed through the corresponding designated outlet openings and attached to the correspondingly designated terminals.

A threaded bushing 50 (Fig. 2) is firmly molded into said partition coaxially with said grooves and receives therein the reduced threaded inner end 51 of the dial mounting shoulder screw 52, said screw having its outer provided with a round, tran shoulder-forming d 53 di ed beyond the plane of the outer edge of the annular wall 16.

A manually operable dial 55, having index numbers 56 near its outer edge corresponding to said circuit numbers 43 is provided with an inner flange 57 (left of Fig. 4) which nests into the switch housing. The dial also has a central ribbed knob 58 for manual manipulation, said knob having a deep annular groove 59, and is further provided with a central countersunk bore 60 for receiving said shoulder screw 52, and a reduced inner end forming a shoulder upon which is located a thrust washer 61.

A spring 62 in said bore between said screw head ,53 and the washer 61 holds the A pair of wide, approximately diametrically opposite marginal indented lugs 65, 66 (Fig. 4) integral with the inner face of the dial, respectively carry opposed pairs of electricallyconnected, slightly spaced yoked resilient, contact brushes 67, 68,69, 70 (Figs. 2 and'4)) mounted in paired spaced alinement, one a ove the other, on each lug, and substantially parallel to each other and to said partition and dial. Each brush comprises a wide yoke 71 (Fig. 4) and a, pair of parallel arms 72, 73 disposed across the disk, said arms being extended parallel with a line passing through the center to the furthest point practical from the contacts so as to obtain an amplified arm length of extreme flexibility. By this construction each paired brush is disposed so as to be alternately located, parallel to each other and of the greatest arm length possible. One arm 73 of each brush extends toward the yoke 71 of,

and being disposed between the arms 72, 73

of, the other brush. Metallic washers 75 are disposed between and space the yokes of each pair; and screws passing through the yokes and washers into bushings molded in the lugs 65, 66 clamp the contact brushes in structed to successively engage said segments as the dial is rotated and engage at an angle (Fig. 4) to the radially spaced edges of the segments to cause the contact ends to freely ride the gap from one spaced segment to the next, the two adjacent bent contact ends being separately yieldable to insure good electrical contact by one or the other contact end, or both, with the segment or ring.

The pairs of contact'brushes are so positioned on the dial and related to the registry stop indents 88, in the housing 12, that when the outermost contact ends 78 or 79 of one pair of superposed contact brushes are in correct register with associate stop indent 88, and with a numbered segment 31 or 30 of one current-directing sign, the outermost contact ends 79 or 78 of the other pair will be in correct register with the same numbered segment of the opposite sign, and the corre sponding dial number 56 will be opposite the index oint 62, so that the circuits connected to such segments will be designated by the dial and connected by the contact brushes, in series with said rings 20, 21 and any associate instrument and current source connected through said posts to the rings.

The dial registr stop comprises a preferably integral radia lug 84 (Figs. 2 and 4) on the inner marginal face of the dial having a radial bore 85 therein to reciprocally mount a detent ball 86, a spring 87 pressing the ball into vertical indents-88 on the inner face of the annular wall 16, said indents being equal in number to the segments of each series, being coordinated therewith in a predetermined registry relation and extendinginto said annular groove 63 of said wall.

The bore, indents,- segments index points and brush ends are so related that when the detent ball is seated in one of the registry indents, the associate brush ends will be disposed about midway of the associate segment entirely away from any adjacent segment and this position is accurately indicated by the associate dial index.

- Removal of the screw 52 renders easy removal of the dial and access!to the interior of the switch housing 7.

Thus, it will be seen that the inventive features for the. accomplishment of the foregoing objects are shown herein which, briefly stated, include an insulating base provided with a dial switch and lead chambers or housings and a partition therebetween provided with concentric grooves for receiving contact rings in two of said grooves, each ring being provided with terminal connections passing {through the partition, the other two ooves i i-receiving fiat, electrically separate onepiece contact segments seated therein which are spaced equal distances apart, each segment being provided with a terminal shank projecting through the a'rtition into the lead chamber or housing. he dial, rotative coaxially with said grooves, mounts two sets of paired, resilient, registering contact brushes carried on the inner face thereof, each brush comprising two yokes secured to the dial slightly spaced apart, and secured by screws.

Associate arms of each pair of said brushes have their ends spaced and angularly. bent to form contact ends, one pair of associate contact ends of each pair of brushes engaging one of the contact rings, the other contact ends of the same brush being positioned and constructedto successively engage said segments of one of said series, with means for register ing such, succession and accurately indicating such registration.

Each adjacent pair of contact brushes engage one ring and segment series only, the otllier pair engaging the other ring and series on y. 7

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a pair. ofcontact rings; a pair of annular seriesof closely spaced contact segments; a dial rotative coaxially" with said rings and series; a pair of marginal lugs on the inner face of the dial; a pair of contact brushes on each lug each comprising a pair of U-shaped contact plates carried one above the other on the lug, each plate comprising a yoke secured to the lug and a pair of long thin parallel arms disposed, in the same direction from the yoke, across the disk parallel to the disk; adjacent arms having their ends independently movable and slightly spaced and turned away from the dial at right angles to the dial to form contact ends; each adjacent pair of contact plates engaging one mug and one segment series only, the other pair engaging the other ring and series only; one pair of adjacent arms of each pair of registering plates pointing toward the yoke of, and lying between the arms of, the other pair of registering plates.

2. In combination, contacts disposed in concentric circumferences; a rotative disklike member coaxial with said circumfera yoke secured to the dial and a pair of arms pointing in the same direction from the yoke substantially parallel to the member and bent at right angles therefrom to form contact ends; said ends engaging contacts of said circumferences respectively. 7

3. In combination, a contact ring; an annular series of flat contact segments concentric with said ring; a rotative dial coairial with said rings and series; a U-shaped contact brush comprising a yoke secured to the dial and a pair of long spring arms pointing in the same direction from the yoke and bent at a right angle away from the dial to'form contact ends, said arms being disposed across the dial parallel to a diameter thereof; said ends respectively engaging said ring and said series. a

4. In combination, an annular series of conno ences; a U-shaped contact plate comprising tact segments having radially disposed spaced-apart end edges; a dial rotative coaxially with said series; and a long spring plate on the inner face and having one end secured to the dial and the free end bent at a right each. comprising a yoke secured to the dial and a pair of arms bent to form contact ends; the respective ends of one contact plate engaging contacts of the first and third circumferences only, the respectiveends of the other plate engaging the contacts of the third and fourth circumferences only; an arm of each plate pointing toward the yoke .of, and disposed between the arms of, the other plate.

6. In combination, concentric contact rings; a pair of annular series of flat contact segments concentric with said rings; a rotative dial coaxial with said rings and series; a pair of U-shaped registering contact brushes each comprising a yoke secured to the dial and a pair of substantially parallel arms pointing in the same direction from the yoke and bent to form contact ends, said arms being disposed across the dial, an arm of each brush pointing toward the yoke of, and being disposed between the arms of the other brush said ends of each contact brush engaging one ring and segment series only, the other brush engaging the other ring and series only.

7 In combination, a contact; a movable member; and a lug on said member; a pair of electrically connected independently movable spaced contact brushes carried one above the other on said lug substantially parallel to, and slightly spaced, from each other, each of said brushes comprising a parallel arm, said arms having their free ends slightly spaced and turned at right angles to the arm in a direction toward the contact to form contact ends having their end edges independently movable to and from said contact.

8. In combination, contacts arranged in concentric circumferences, the contacts of one circumference being an annular series; a dial rotative coaxially with said circumferences and a pair of contact brushes carried in registry slightly spaced one above the other on said dial, each brush comprising a yoke secured to the dial and a pair of parallel arms disposed across the dial; adjacent arms having their ends independently movable and slightly spaced and bent to form contact ends having contact end edges; one adjacent pair of contact ends engaging the contacts of one circumference only, the other pair engaging the contact of the other circumference.

9. In combination, a contact ring; an annular series of contacts; a rotary member disposed coaxially with saidring and series; a pair ofU-shaped electrically connected registering contact plates carried one above the other on said member, each plate comprising a yoke secured to said member, and apair of arms bent to form contact ends, each contact end of each plate being closely adjacent to and movable independently of, a contact end of the other plate; one pair of adjacent contact ends of each pair of plates engaging the contact ring, the other contact ends of said pair being positioned and constructed to suecessively engage said segments.

10. In combination, an annular series of contact segments having radially disposed end edges closely spaced from adjacent segments; a dial rotative coaxially with said series; and a pair of thin registering contactbrushes carried one above the other on the inner face of the dial, each brush comprising a long arm secured at one end to the dial, the opposite ends being free and slightly spaced and forming contact ends disposed substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said series and having end contact edges positioned to successively engage said segments as the dial rotates and disposed at an oblique angle to the end edges of the segments to cause the contact ends to ride easily from one segment to the next; the twobent ends being close enough together to be both disposed between the ends of the same segment and far enough apart to simultaneously engage adj acent'segments, and being separately yieldable toward or from the segments to insure simultaneous contactwith adjacent segments.

11. In combination, contacts arranged in four concentric circumferences; a dial rotative coaxially with said circumferences .and provided with a pair of wide approximately diametrically opposite' marginal lugs on the inner face of the dial; a

pair of superposed registering electrically connected slightly spaced U-shaped contact plates carried one above the other on each lug substantially parallel to the partition and dial, each plate comprising a wide yoke secured to the lug and pair of parallel arms disposed across the disk, adjacent arms of each adjacent pair pointing toward the yoke of, and being disposed between the arms of, the other adjacent pair; adjacent arms having their ends closely adjacent and slightly spaced and turned at right angles to the arm in a direction away from the dial to form separately movable contact ends having their end edges engaging against one of said contacts, one adjacent pair of contact plates engaging contacts of the first and third circumferences, the other pair engaging contacts of the other circumferences.

12. In combination, an insulating base provided with continuous concentric grooves; a contact ring in said grooves; the other groove being provided with a large number of terminal holes equidistantly spaced around the groove; elongated flat metallic contact segments seated in the groove having the holes, said segments being slightly spaced apart and each provided with an arcuate edge engaging a margin of the groove, radial edges spaced from adjacent segments and a terminal shank projecting through said terminal holes; a member rotative coaxially with said ring and series; and a contact plate secured to said member and engaging the ring and adapted to successively engage said segments.

13. In combination, a base comprising a partition and walls forming a lead housing; a pair of contact rings and a pair of annular series of contact segments on said partition; a member rotative coaxially with said rings and series; and contact brushes secured to said member, each brush to the exclusion of the other brush engaging one ring and being adapted to successively engage the contacts of one series; said= contact segments being provided with terminals projecting into the lead housing; one lead housing wall having outlet openings arranged in pairs to form a pair of rows, each pair of holes being provided with a circuit number, each row of holes being provided with a current directing sign; the partition being also provided with current direction signs associated with the respective series of terminals, and w1th numbers corresponding to the numbers of said pairs of holes.

14. In combination, an insulating base comprising a transverse partition, and walls on one side of the partition forming a lead housing; a pair of contact rings and a pair of annular series of contact segments on said partition; a member rotative coaxially with said rings and series; and a pair of contact brushes secured to said member, each brush to the exclusion of the other brush engaging one ring and series; said rings havlng terminals thereon projecting into the. lead housing; said contact segments .being equal distances apart and provided with terminals projecting into the lead housing; the housing wall having outlet openings equal in number to said segments, and arranged in pairs to form a pair of rows; each pair of holes being provided with a circuit member, and each row of holes being provided with a current direction sign; said partition being also provided with current direction signs associated with the respective series of terminals and also with circuit numbers associated with the terminals and corresponding to the outlet circuit numbers, the number of the plus terminal of one series being remote from the same number of the minus-terminal of the other series; said brushes being positioned to engage respectively with segments of the same number and opposite sign.

15. In combination, a one piece combined base and housing of dielectric material comprising a transverse partition, and an annular wall forming a circular switch housing and provided with an inner annular grove around its edge; a contact ring and an annular series of contacts on said partition; a shouldered 7 screw mounted in said partition coaxially with said ring and series and having its outer end exposed and provided with a round slotted shoulder-forming head dis osed beyond the plane of the outer edge 0 the annular 30 wall; a one-piece dial provided with an inner flange engaging in the switch housing, a central knob having a central bore open at the outer end and receiving said screw and head and provided with a reduced inner end form- 35.

ing a shoulder; an index point on the edge of the wall with which the dial numbers may be associated; a spring and friction washer in said bore between said head and shoulder for holding the edge of the dial yieldably seated in said groove; and a contact member secured to said dial and engaging the ring and adapted to successively engage said contacts.

16. In combination, an annular series of ried one above the other on the inner face l of the dial, each brush comprising a long arm secured at one end to the dial, the opposite ends being free and slightly spaced and forming contact ends positioned and constructed to successively engage said segments as the dial rotates and disposed at an oblique angle to the end edges of the segments to cause the contact ends to ride easily from one segment to the next; the two bent ends being close enough together to both be simultaneously disposed between the ends of the same contact and separately yieldable toward or from the segments to insure good contact on one or the other with the segments; and means for stopping and locating the dial with said bent ends engaged between the ends of any segment.

17. In combination, a base having a partition and an annular wall; an annular series of contacts on said artition; a screw removably mounted in sai partition coaxially with said series; a dial held on said screw and r0- tative coaxially with said series and within said wall and removable in the direction of its axis out of said wall when the screw is removed; a contact member secured to said dial and positioned and constructed to successively engage said contacts; said annular wall being provided on its inner face with a series of transverse grooves perpendicu- 0 of the associate contact and entirely away from the adjacent contact.

Signed at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, this 9th day of January, A. D. 1928.

I EDWARD WILLIAMS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,735,485. Granted November 12, 1929, to

EDWARD WILLIAMS.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "Wilson-Maculen Company, Inc.", whereas said name should have been written and printed'as "Wilson-Maeulen Company, Inc", as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Otiice.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of December, A. D. 1929.

M. vJ. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

